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Winnipeg food trucks serve up free lunch for the homeless

Several food trucks rolled up outside Siloam Mission over the noon hour to provide lunch for the shelter residents, staff and community members. The Winnipeg Food Truck Alliance marked the end of the season by giving back the best way they know how, serving up delicious meals curbside.

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Food truck vendors marked the end of the season by giving back

Several food trucks rolled up outside Siloam Mission over the lunch hour Monday to hand out free food for the shelter patrons, staff and volunteers.

The Winnipeg Food Truck Alliance marked the end of the season by giving back the best way they know how — serving up delicious meals curbside.

The event fed hundreds of hungry patrons from Siloam Mission and Madison Supportive Housing. The mission typically feeds 500 to 600 people for lunch every day, said Reagan Peters, communications coordinator for Siloam Mission, adding it costs about $3 a person.

"We rely on the community for about 90 per cent of our donations. Food being one of our biggest expenditures," she said. "When people offer their time and their generosity to come out here and feed the members of our community, it definitely helps us."

This was the first time the food truck group has offered such an event. Steffen Zinn, owner of the Red Ember, helped organize the event. Zinn said the vendors wanted to thank the community for supporting them all summer by giving back to those less fortunate.

"We share the streets with some people that use the services here at Siloam Mission. We see them walk past the windows of our truck everyday, and unfortunately, they may not be able to stop by and order whatever we have to sell, so we wanted to give back a little bit," said Zinn.

Several food trucks rolled up outside Siloam Mission over the lunch hour Monday to hand out free food for the shelter patrons, staff and volunteers. 0:56

Siloam patron and volunteer, Christine Makara said it was a great surprise to hear that today's lunch was going to be provided by the food trucks.

The people who frequent the Mission aren't used to getting this kind of food. Lunches usually consist of soups and sandwiches and being able to choose what they wanted from a food truck was a real treat. "I see a lot of smiles, it's exciting for them," Makara said, "These people have very big hearts."

Christine Makara uses Siloam Mission and volunteers there. She says getting to order from the food trucks was "a real treat for everyone" (Holly Caruk)

There were plenty of options to choose from including wraps, Asian inspired dishes, chicken wings, wood-fired pizzas and dessert crepes. .

The Winnipeg Food Truck Alliance is an informal group of approximately 20 food truck vendors that have joined together to work with the city to establish food truck zones.

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